Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend consultation and evaluation meeting with mayors in capital’s Kizilcahamam district.

​​​​​​​ANKARA - Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to attend virtual International Security Academy organized by International Relations Association.

ANKARA - Following worldwide pandemic situation, efforts to stem new omicron coronavirus variant.

MONTENEGRO

PODGORICA - Following visit of Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop to capital, where he is set to hold joint press conference with his Montenegrin counterpart Aleksa Becic, and will meet President Milo Djukanovic and Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin to hold annual year-end news conference.

MOSCOW – Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to take part in meeting of commission on Russians living abroad.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA -Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry to announce international investment position for October.

ANKARA - Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati to chair 2nd meeting of Financial Stability Committee.

WASHINGTON - US Labor Department to announce initial jobless claims.

WASHINGTON - US Commerce Department to announce personal income, spending for November.

BRUSSELS - European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) to release commercial vehicles registration figures for November.

SPORTS

ANKARA - Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 17 games in basketball as 2021-22 regular season reaches midpoint.

SPECIAL REPORT

Corncob briquette: Students in Somalia discover alternative to charcoal

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Battered by the worst drought in decades, students in Somalia have discovered an alternative to charcoal – corncob briquette, a find which could help stem the country's tide of deforestation.

SPECIAL REPORT

Loss of top general delaying India’s integration plans, say experts

NEW DELHI (AA) – As India is still awaiting the appointment of a new chief of defense staff (CDS) following the death of Gen. Bipin Rawat earlier this month, analysts fear the defense sector reform process may suffer, if only temporarily.

SPECIAL REPORT

Global environment developments across world in 2021

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - The year 2021 saw many major moves towards protecting wildlife and the environment, including bans on single-use plastics, while many reports warned of growing threats to nature as well as wildlife.